Kaz Hirai made $1.6 million last year - Report

Sony CEO compensation for year that saw first profit in five years revealed in government filing.

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai made ¥153 million ($1.6 million) in annual compensation for the past financial year, a period that saw the PlayStation maker post its first profit in five years.

That figure is up 74 percent from the ¥88 million ($900,000) he earned for the previous financial year, when he served as executive deputy president.

The figures were revealed in a company filing with Japan's Finance Ministry obtained by Bloomberg. The document also shows that former vice chairman Ryoji Chubachi received ¥194 million ($1.9 million) following his retirement last week.

By comparison, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick made $8.33 million during the company's most recent financial year.

Hirai, a Sony veteran, was promoted to CEO last February. He joined Sony in 1984 as part of its music group. In 1995, he transferred to Sony Computer Entertainment America, where he was instrumental in launching both the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, and he eventually became its president and CEO.

In a 2006 management shake-up, Hirai replaced Ken Kutaragi as president of Sony Computer Entertainment International, where he helped turn around the then-money-losing PlayStation business.

The reason why some are saying this is a "moderate" amount in terms of what most CEO get. Are far from the truth, as to the main reason as to why it's "moderate". The reason is, as some have pointed out. Sony are in dire straits financially. They have lost billions in the last ten years. Their hardware isn't top dog, and is facing some really stiff competition from the likes of Samsung. The reason why the CEO's took a pay cut / took no bonus payments is because, if they didn't then this puts more strain on the already fragile finances of Sony. They fought off having "junk credit" rating.

So his lowest income was 900k? Thats stil 4.5 times the amount of a VERY well paid high-end employee.

CEO salaries are fucking staggering. I really dont see a justification for those 8-10 million salaries (and thats without bonuses) They're major leeches on the economic health of a cooperation and there are other employees who are arguably just as deserving of a raise.

Also what would you even spend 900k on? Let alone 10 MILLION + a bonus? Its complete and utter nonsense.

That is actually fairly reasonable. Japan has the fairest executive pay ratio in the world. Its almost sick the amount of pay most US corporate bosses get. Still the rich get richer but at least Kaz's pay is not completely over the top.

seems actually reasonable compared to what executives in the US make, especially considering he turned the company around into a profit. Plenty of US execs make more than this on quarterly bonuses and run their companies into the ground. I know my companies' regional VP made a $9 million dollar quarterly bonus, not counting his salary. Thats ONE quarter mind you.

Europe and Japan do a lot better at compensating their employees fairly unlike in the US where corps make outlandish profits and only compensate the executives that bounce from corp to corp no matter how good their performance is, while the average workers' compensation has stagnated for 30 years.

THATS why the recession is so slow to go away, corps are actually making record profits and sitting on record cash reserves but not paying their workers anything extra to stimulate the economy. Corps figured out they could use the recession to actually over work their current employees (labor production is also at an all time high) with fear of losing your job in a bad economy as incentive.

@JangoF-76 seriously. This is not journalism, it's just another useless article to occupy the gs website. Honestly, if someone really cared about ceo's salaries, they could find out. I try hard to filter the bs stories out and maybe 5 % are worth reading.

@alchie11Japanese are not greedy as fat fuckers in US of A ( *cough* kotick *cough* ) and they very often are willing to give up own profits if the company is loosing money. Hard working and humble nation. Thats why I will ALWAYS support SONY instead Micro$oft.

@keo8329 It's ridiculous for any CEO to make that much as it's the people at the bottom that are the actual arms of the company and they usually get screwed, but so many on here are praising them like these CEO's have really done something. Instead sceam at their employees for not cutting enough cost so they can have another diamond encrusted goblet for their cocktails.

that's some interesting stereotyping you got goin' on there. i remember a time when japanese products used to be considered garbage, but i guess people forgot all about that. hard working and humble? yes, but also no. if more people understood anything about japanese culture, they'd see things more sensibly. along with a diligent work ethic comes a need to avoid conflict, breeding inefficiencies due to conservative practices, and a need to hide those inefficiencies due to an obsession with image. culture is HARDLY a reason to choose what company you support. especially when you consider how many scandals that japanese company has also been involved in.

@hp2110 Heads that go on vacation on the Company's dime, get paid million dollar bonuses, and then when it comes time to reward their employees, explain that "there just isn't enough money" and they will be "hit with cutbacks".

@gufberg@the_big_doggg I agree with the excessive paying of CEOs. Now this would be 100% acceptable if they didnt use loopholes so much to swindle taxpayers money. They are robbing the poor and stuffing the rich <--this i dont agree with it. Im all for high payouts IF they follow ethical business guidelines and are fair

@the_big_doggg@Rayzakk nobody who works at apple gets screwed. and @Rayzakk the people that do the real work in the world never get money because it's common work that anyone could do. the people that make real money are people with great ideas and good people skills and an amazing work ethic.